فَيا قَلبُ صَبراً وَاِعتِرافاً لِما تَرى

فَيا قَلبُ صَبراً وَاِعتِرافاً لِما تَرى

وَيا حُبَّها قَع بِالَّذي أَنتَ واقِعُ

وَيا حُبَّها قَع بِالَّذي أَنتَ واقِعُ

So, O heart, be patient and accept what you see.

O heart, patience and confession for what you see

And, O love for her, fall upon whomever you will.

And O love of her, accept what you are destined for

لَعَمري لِمَن أَمسى وَأَنتِ ضَجيعُهُ

لَعَمري لِمَن أَمسى وَأَنتِ ضَجيعُهُ

مِنَ الناسِ ما اِختيرَت عَليهِ المَضاجِعُ

مِنَ الناسِ ما اِختيرَت عَليهِ المَضاجِعُ

By my life, for whoever spends the evening with you as his bedmate,

By my life, for the one whose bedfellow you are at night

among men, no other beds would be preferred to his.

Among people, beds were not chosen over you

أَلا تِلكَ لُبنى قَد تَراخى مَزارُها

أَلا تِلكَ لُبنى قَد تَراخى مَزارُها

وَلِلبَينِ غَمٌّ ما يَزالُ يُنازِعُ

وَلِلبَينِ غَمٌّ ما يَزالُ يُنازِعُ

Behold, that is Lubna; a visit to her is now far off,

Those are the traces of Layla's shrine gone faint

and parting brings a sorrow that never ceases to wrestle with me.

And for the separated lover a grief persists contending

إِذا لَم يَكُن إِلّا الجَوى فَكَفى بِهِ

إِذا لَم يَكُن إِلّا الجَوى فَكَفى بِهِ

جَوى حُرَقٍ قَد ضُمِّمَتها الأَضالِعُ

جَوى حُرَقٍ قَد ضُمِّمَتها الأَضالِعُ

If there is nothing but anguish, that is enough—

If there was nothing left but passion, it would suffice

the anguish of burning pains enclosed by the ribs.

The passion of burning embers tucked in ribs

أَبائِنَةٌ لُبنى وَلَم تَقطَعِ المَدى

أَبائِنَةٌ لُبنى وَلَم تَقطَعِ المَدى

بِوَصلٍ وَلا صُرمٍ فَيَيأَسَ طامِعُ

بِوَصلٍ وَلا صُرمٍ فَيَيأَسَ طامِعُ

Is Lubna departing, though she has not ended the long wait

Elusive Layla, and did not shorten the distance

with union or severance, so that one who hopes might despair?

With union or firm pledge, so the hopeful despairs

يَظَلُّ نَهارَ الوالِهينَ نَهارَهُ

يَظَلُّ نَهارَ الوالِهينَ نَهارَهُ

وَتَهدِنُهُ في النائِمينَ مَضاجِعُ

وَتَهدِنُهُ في النائِمينَ مَضاجِعُ

His day remains the day of the lovelorn,

His day lasts as long as the besotted’s day

and beds soothe him among the sleepers—

And she rocks him to sleep among the sleepers

سِوايَ فَلَيلي مِن نَهاري وَإِنَّما

سِوايَ فَلَيلي مِن نَهاري وَإِنَّما

تُقَسَّمُ بَينَ الهالِكينَ المَصارِعُ

تُقَسَّمُ بَينَ الهالِكينَ المَصارِعُ

except for me: my night is of a piece with my day; and only

Except for her, so my night is like my day, and rather

the places of death are allotted among those who perish.

Among the dying, graves are divided between us

وَلَولا رَجاءُ القَلبِ أَن تَعطِفَ النَوى

وَلَولا رَجاءُ القَلبِ أَن تَعطِفَ النَوى

لَما حَمَلَتهُ بَينَهُنَّ الأَضالِعُ

لَما حَمَلَتهُ بَينَهُنَّ الأَضالِعُ

And were it not for the heart's hope that separation might turn back,

And were it not for the heart’s hope that affection may soften

the ribs would not have borne it between them.

Among them it would not have carried ribs

لَهُ وَجَباتٌ إِثرَ لُبنى كَأَنَّها

لَهُ وَجَباتٌ إِثرَ لُبنى كَأَنَّها

شَقائِقُ بَرقٍ في السَحابِ لَوامِعُ

شَقائِقُ بَرقٍ في السَحابِ لَوامِعُ

It has throbs in Lubna's wake, as though they were

For it undulations after Layla like

gleaming streaks of lightning in the clouds.

Flashes of lightning in clouds, glowing

نَهاري نَهارُ الناسِ حَتّى إِذا دَجا

نَهاري نَهارُ الناسِ حَتّى إِذا دَجا

لِيا اللَيلُ هَزَّتني إِلَيكَ المَضاجِعُ

لِيا اللَيلُ هَزَّتني إِلَيكَ المَضاجِعُ

My day is like other people's day, until, when night grows dark

My day is people’s day, until when night falls

for me, the beds stir me toward you.

The beds tossed me towards you

أُقَضّي نَهاري بِالحَديثِ وَبِالمُنى

أُقَضّي نَهاري بِالحَديثِ وَبِالمُنى

وَيَجمَعُني بِاللَيلِ وَالهَمَّ جامِعُ

وَيَجمَعُني بِاللَيلِ وَالهَمَّ جامِعُ

I pass my day in conversation and wishes,

I spend my day in talking and in wishes

and at night a gatherer brings me and sorrow together.

And at night grief and worries bring me together

وَقَد نَشَأَت في القَلبِ مِنكُم مَوَدَّةٌ

وَقَد نَشَأَت في القَلبِ مِنكُم مَوَدَّةٌ

كَما نَشَأَت في الراحَتَينِ الأَصابِعُ

كَما نَشَأَت في الراحَتَينِ الأَصابِعُ

And affection for you has grown within the heart,

And a cordiality toward you was bred in my heart

as fingers have grown from the two palms.

As cordiality bred in the two palms

أَبى اللَهُ أَن يَلقى الرَشادَ مُتَيَّمٌ

أَبى اللَهُ أَن يَلقى الرَشادَ مُتَيَّمٌ

أَلا كُلَّ أَمرٍ حُمَّ لا بُدَّ واقِعُ

أَلا كُلَّ أَمرٍ حُمَّ لا بُدَّ واقِعُ

God has refused to let one enslaved by love find right guidance.

God refused that the well-guided remain unrequited

Indeed, every decreed thing must come to pass.

Indeed, every matter predetermined will happen

هُما بَرَّحا بي مُعوِلينَ كِلاهُما

هُما بَرَّحا بي مُعوِلينَ كِلاهُما

فُؤادٌ وَعَينٌ مَأقُها الدَهرَ دامِعُ

فُؤادٌ وَعَينٌ مَأقُها الدَهرَ دامِعُ

They have sorely tormented me, both wailing aloud:

They both deserted me, relying on each other

a heart, and an eye whose inner corner weeps forever.

A heart and an eye, time has made it tearful

إِذا نَحنُ أَنفَدنا البُكاءَ عَشِيَّةً

إِذا نَحنُ أَنفَدنا البُكاءَ عَشِيَّةً

فَمَوعِدُنا قَرنٌ مِنَ الشَمسِ طالِعٌ

فَمَوعِدُنا قَرنٌ مِنَ الشَمسِ طالِعٌ

When we have exhausted our weeping one evening,

When we exhaust tears at night

then our appointed time is the sun's rising rim.

Our appointment is a sunbeam rising at dawn

وَلِلحُبِّ آياتٌ تَبَيَّنُ بِالفَتى

وَلِلحُبِّ آياتٌ تَبَيَّنُ بِالفَتى

شُحوبٌ وَتَعرى مِن يَدَيهِ الأَشاجِعُ

شُحوبٌ وَتَعرى مِن يَدَيهِ الأَشاجِعُ

And love has signs that become clear in a young man:

And for love there are signs that manifest in the young man

pallor, and the sinews stand bare upon his hands.

Pallor, and hands withdraw from the pillows